Divers clean up failed Florida reef project from ’70s

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — An attempt to save Florida coral isÂ wrecking the reef instead. Apparently, they didn’t think through what seawater does to metal.

The divers are off before dawn.

Diver Thomas Pennypacker is on a rescue mission off the coast of Ft. Lauderdale, saving a piece of Florida’s natural coral reef. A massive 35-acre graveyard of old tires.

It started as a way to get rid of tires clogging up landfills back in 1970. Up to two million tires, bundled by metal clips, were dumped to create an artificial reef. The hope was that they would spur coral growth and attract fish, all good for the environment.